Amalgamator and concentrator



(No Model.) 4 SheetsfShe'et ,1.

A.. OLIVER.

AMALGAM'ATOR AND 400mmlqimAToR.

No. 252,793. Patented 4Jmgim,'1.882.

4 Sheets- Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. 24,1882.

Q.. wobhnioll OlMlOlilwIN-mwmmcjmlllcmnmmmwlm I i .i w,...

(No Model.)

A. OLIVER.

AMALGAMATOR AND GONGBNTRATOR.

MHH! 111 rm N. PETERS. Phormhogmpher. wfhingnm4 uc.

. 4 Sheets-Sheet A. OLIVER. AMALGAMATOR AND -CONCENTRATOR.

Patented Jan. 24,1882.

`(No Model.)

N. Pneus. vmwnrlznwgnpner, wnsmngnon, D. t;

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

l(No Model.)

A. OLIVER. AMALGAMATOR AND GONGBNTRATOR.

10.252,793. Patented Jan. 24,1882.

1 I. u @I m m q m n O l G S v H NNN N. PETERS. Phnnrmnugmpher. wasmngm. uc.

UNTTB ST-aTns aTeNT arten.

ALLEN OLIVER, OF FOREST HILL, CALIFORNIA.

AMALGAMATR AND CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,793, dated January 24, 1882, Application filed June E27, 1881. A(No model.) j

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN OLlvEa, ofForest Hill, county of Placer, State of California, have invented an Improved Amalgamator and Goncentrator; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dcscription thereof. n

My invention relates to an apparatus for amalgamating and concentrating the valuable metals, and also for concentrating sulphurets; and I call it the automatic hydraulic amalgamator and concentrator.77

It consists of two sluices placed -side by side, and provided with gates which are operated automatically by suspended water-boxes. A main sluice brings the pulp from the battery to these two sluices, and while one is receiving the pulp the gate ofthe other is closed. The sluices have a double bottom, the upper one being perforated and provided with upwardly-projecting brushes. A frame ot' waterpipes with transverse wedge-shaped hollow riftles, which are pert'orated t'or the egress of water into the pulp, is moved up and down continuously to agitate the pulp and assist in concentrating. Suitable discharge-gates are. opened and closed automatically, and a ilexible riftle at the outlet is operated in t-he same manner, all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view ot" my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections. Fig. 5 is a transverse section. Fig. G is a side view.

A is the main sluice, which brings the pulp from the batteries to my apparatus; and B B are the sluices which receive the pulp and in which the concentration takes place. These sluices are preferably two in number and stand side by side, and have a sufficient angle to cause the pulp to move slowly toward the lower end, where the light portions and sand are dis# charged. .Each ot' these sluices is provided with a gate, G, which serves to closeit and pre vent any further ingress of pulp until wanted. These gates are connected with boxes D, which move in guides above the sluices, and are suspended by a rope or chain, E. This rope passes over pulleys F, and makes a turn abouta sin gle pulley, Gr, being so connected with it as to turn it and its shaft, when one box rises and the other falls. Upon the shaft of this central pulley is a gear or ratchet wheel, H, which is held at any desired point by a ratchet-bar, I, and this bar is moved t0 release the wheel,

rising and falling boxes, K, the operation of which will be described hereinafter.

A short tube, L, is fixed upon the pulley G or to its shaft, so as to oscillate when the shaft is turned, and thus discharge water into either one or the other of the boxes D. This tube is supplied with water by a tlexible tube from a tank, M, above the machine,which is provided with a screen or lilter, so that the water may be treed from sand or substances which will clog the working` parts. Water is conveyed by pipes from this tank to other parts ot' the apparatus, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Each ot' the boxes D has a gate, N, at the bottom operated by a lever-arm, O, so that when the box has descended and closed the -sluice-gate C, this exit-gate N will be opened and the water will be discharged. The other box will be filled from the oscillating tube, so as to be ready to descend and close its gate when the ratchet-wheel is released, as before described. By this action the gates ofthe two sluices are alternately opened and closed, and the pulp is caused to flow into one and theother, as desired.

Upon the-floors or bottoms oi" the sluices B are fitted ainalgamated plates P, and a short distance above these plates are thc supplemental tloors or bottoms Q. These secondary bottoms have transverse depressions l'ormed at regular intervals in their length, and these depressions are perforated, so that any gold, sulph urets, or other heavy valuable particles which settle therein will pass through into the lowercompartment. Below this perforated bottom are a series ot longitudinal and transverse pipes, R, which receive water from the tank M, before mentioned, and these pipes are perforated, so as to discharge the water into the material below the bottom Q. This action the amalgamated plates, and at the saine time, by the upward flow through the holes in the perforated plates, prevents the lighter sand and the oxidized matter which prevents amalgamation from passing down into the recepta cle below.

Above the perforated plates Q, are a series of when desired, by arms J from either of two keeps the material in comta'it motion uponv plates, S, which are formed to clamp and hold the upwardlyprojecting brushes T, that extend in rows across the sluices and f'orm rif'fles, as shown. 'lhese brushes are formed ofthe filaments of' what is known as soap-root]7 as they do not soften or rot by the constant action of' the water, and they make avaluable riffle. Spaces are left between the clamps S, so that the heavier materials may settle into the channels and perfor-ations ofthe bottoms Q..

In order to keep the pulp constantly agitated in the sluices and between the brushes, I employ a moving frame, U, formed of pipes, as shown, and having the wedge-shaped hollow transverse riftles V, extending across at points between the stationary brushrif'fles T, and perforated so as to discharge water into the pulp. This moving hollow frame is connected with the water-tank M by a flexible pipe, and receives a supply of water therefrom. In order to move this frame and its rittles, it is provided with arms lV, which curve over the sides cf the sluices and are connected by pins with the united upper ends ofthe arms X. The lower ends of these arms diverge like the letter A, and those on one side of' the angle are united with a horizontally-moving bar, Y, while those on the other side ofthe angle are united with another similar bar, Z. These two bars are connected by rods or pitmen with cranks a, placed diametrieally opposite each other upon a shaft, b, by which they are driven, and the effect is to cause the bars Y Z to move in opposite directions, and the A-formed arms X are alternately opened and closed at the bottom, thus` raising and depressing' the apex, and carrying with it the hollow rif'tle-frame.

The transverse hollow rif'fles V have perforations, so as to discharge water into the pulp continuously as they move up and down, and these water-jets serve to open the material to admit the easy entrance of' the riffles as they move downward and prevent its packing. As the sluiees stand at an incline it will be seen lthat the pulp will be deeper at the lower end, and in order tokeep up a pei fectlaction throughout the whole depth I employ as many ofthe transverse wedge-shaped rif'fles as may be needed, one above another. 1f' the sluice is long, there may be one rif'tie in depth for a certain distance, then two, then three, and so on for any required depth, each series above being separated from those below about the distance of' the vertical travel of the f'rame. By this arrangement the whole mass of' pulp is kept thoroughly agitated and stirred up whatever may be its depth.

The lower end of the sluices is provided with rising and falling riles, which are gradually extended or contracted as the sluice fills or is emptied. Each rifffie is constructed as follows: A hollow cylindrical case, c, extends across the sluice the 'f'nll width, and has two arms, d, extending from itsY top to the box K, heretofore mentioned, so that the cylinder is caused to rise and fall bythe movement of the box. Within this cylinder is a smaller cylinder, e, with an axle extending through the ends of the outer cylinder. Pinions or gearwheelsf upon the ends of this axle engage with fixed rack-bars g, an d when the outer case rises or f'alls the inner cylinder is caused to revolve by reason of' the gear-wheel traveling in contact with the rack.

A flexible sheet of rubber or other suitable material, h, has one edge attached to the inner cylinder, and the other edge is fixed at the bottom or lower end of the sluice, passing out through a slot in the outer case, as shown. By this construction it will be seen that when the outer case rises the flexible riffle will be unrolled from the inner cylinder and will form a dam across the lower end of' the sluice, and when the outer case is depressed the flexible sheet will be again rolled upon the inner cylinder as the case c moves downward.

In order to prevent grit or other substances from entering the ease and clogging the slit through which the flexible sheet passes or from clogging the gear-wheel and rack, water is brought into the case by a flexible pipe, i, from the tank M, and this water, flowing outward through the slit, washes the flexible sheet. Holes at the end allow water to escape to keep the gears clean. rlhe flexible riffes arc raised gradually,as the pulp flows into the sluice, by means ofthe arms d, connected with the boxes K, as before mentioned. These boxes are floats fitted into tanks m, and these tanks are slowly filled with water by means of pipes n from the tank M, thus gradually raising the floats as fast or slow as may be desired. When the float upon one side has reached the top a suitable mechanism shuts ofi' the supply of water, and at the same time opens a gate, by which the water is discharged from the tank, and the float will gradually sink, depressing the flexible riffle at the same time. At the saine time the pulp has been shut offl from that sluice by the shifting gates heretofore described, and as the flexible rift-le is depressed the lighter materials and wastewill flow off over the top, and the vertically-moving hollow rifles continue to rise and fall through the mass while it diminishes, thus keeping it thoroughly agitated until the separation has been completed.

Beneath the lower end ofthe sluice is a box, o, to receive the valuable materials when the clean up is iliade. rlhe lowest floor ofthe sluice is perforated witha sufficient number of holes, p, to receive this material and lead it to the box, and while the sluiceis filling anddiseharging a stream of' water is led into the box, so that its pressure will prevent the light material from passinginto the box. The upper grooved and perforated bottom, Q, of' the slnieeonly extends to the edge of' the box 0 and its perforations, and a gate, q, closes the chamber below the bottom Q until the float K has nearly reached the bottom. It then strikes a level', which opens this gate, and the water-supply to the box 0 is cutoff', and at the sainetiine a dis- IIO IIS

charge-gate from its lower part is opened, so that all the valuable heavy materials, as they escape from the chamber or spacebetvveen the floors ofthe sluice, Will passinto the box, and thence through the outlet to a point Whereit may be collected. The light sand and slums from this machine are discharged into a hopper With ajet of Water, and the sand'will settle to the bottom, while the slum will pass oft' into another machine, which is nearly a counterpart of the one herein described; butinstead of the vertically-moving frames and riftles, I employ a mat formed ofsoap-root liber and stretched across a frame horizontally. This mat is raised above the surface of the slum, and is then pressed down, acting like a strainer and forcing the minute particles of gold to the bottom, where it is washed oif and may be amalganiated upon the plates.

Havngthus described my invention, whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l'. The sluices B B, connected with the main or supply sluice A, in combination with gates G, rope E, and pulley G, substantial-ly as described.

2. rIhe boxes D, provided with the gates C, in combination with the rope E, the pulley G, and guides, substantially as set forth.

3. The sluices B, in combination with the suspended water-boxes D and automatic gates N, substantially as and for the purpose speci-` tied.

4. The boxes D, provided with the gates (l, and suspended as sho\vn,in combination with the deteut orratchetwheel H, the lever I, carrying the pawl, the iioats K, and tripping-arms J, all constructed, arranged, and operated as set forth.

5. The oscillating shaft carrying the pulley G and the ratchet -ivheel H, in combination with the doublenozzle L, securedas described, to be tilted by the movement of the shaft and discharge alternately into spouts leading to the two sluices B, andthe supply-tank W, sub- :set forth.

stantiall y as described.

6. The sluices B, having the amalgamated plates P, in combination with the supplemental bottoms Q and the water-discharging pipes R, arranged beneath the supplemental bottoms Q, substantiallyas and for the purpose herein described.

7. The sluices B, provided with the amalgamated plates and the Wa terpipes R, in combination with the supplemental bottoms having transverse depressions, perforated as shown, for the purpose set forth.

8. Thecurved transverse plates S, extending across the sluices' and having their edges turned at right angles to clamp the brushes T, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The sluice B, in combination with the upwardly projecting soap root brushes T, arranged transverse the sluice, as set forth.

10. The sluices B, the Water-pipesU, and the wedge-shaped perforated tubes V, arranged transverse the. sluice, in combination with the series of reciprocating levers W, X, X', and Z, to give the Water-pipes a rising and falling motion, substantially as described.

ll. The iiexible riflie h, rolling upon the cylinder c within the case c, and extending across and fastened to the bottom of the sluice, in combination with the sluice B,forthe purpose l2. The tanksm, having lioats K, and tank M, in combination with the arms d and cases c, said arms connecting the iioats to the cases, and sluices B, all constructed, arranged, and operated as described.v

13. The case c, contained cylinder c, provided with pinions f, and flexible rie h, in combination with the vertical racks g, the Whole constructed, arranged, and operated a-s set forth.

In witness whereofI have hereunto set my hand.

ALLEN OLIVER.

Vitnesses: S. H. N oURsE, FRANK A. BROOKS. 

